


Less Than Three

by arcana_amicus



Category: RWBY
Genre: Eventual Fluff, F/F, Pining, it's about the little things uwu, no beta we die like redheads, somehow using my day job in my fanfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 04:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcana_amicus/pseuds/arcana_amicus
Summary: There's too many little things that remind Penny of Ruby. Set sometime during the v7 upgrade montage.
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	Less Than Three

She doesn't need to sleep, doesn't need to eat. Her composite fiber muscles have never known tiredness.

But it doesn't mean her heart can't grow weary. Her mind wanders as she flies alone in the cold nights above Mantle, and she knows she needs to do something different. Sure, her schedule will be full either way, but some things - and people - make her feel far more alive than others.

**0600 - Administrative Duties ~~filling in yet another Mantle damage assessment~~**

The guard on the night shift at the gates of the Academy offers a tired salute, and Penny returns it.  
In the lobby, her fingers flutter over her Scroll, submitting the form.

_"No noticeable increase in Grimm activity. Two Sabres eliminated."_

But there was something different. She turns to the Shattered Moon, staring it for a little longer than usual. It was still in the same phase. The side of the moon that she last saw before she found _her._ Again. On the Mantle streets, just days earlier. Last week, she'd smile quietly to herself for a job well done. She's smiling again this week, a little more.

The moon's never been brighter in her green eyes.

After recharging her weapon, she heads down to the second office kitchenette, the one nearest Ironwood's office - the one that she and Winter often shared, avoided by staff that didn't want to run into Ironwood and practically never used by Ironwood himself, who took lunch in his office. She checks that Winter's favorite tea is still stocked. 

There's still a dozen cookies in the cookie jar. She reminds herself to suggest a slight amendment to the breakfast selection. Maybe tomorrow, when her friends get their weapons back. 

**0700 - Maintaining defensive capability ~~waking up team RWBY~~**

She's never late for the best time of day. Quietly, she steps into Team RWBY's room.

_"Sal ... u ... TATIONS!"_

There's the usual groans. Ruby's first out of bed, or would be if she hadn't somehow tangled her foot in the sheets today. She's going on about a meeting, like the ones Penny has to attend every few days. But this was Ruby's day, and Penny has never been more interested in meeting minutes.

It's not enough time. It's never enough time, yet it feels like no time at all. She ignores the little nagging clock in her optics display. 

Ruby has her briefing too, and her team is waiting. Penny is standing a foot further left than she did yesterday. Maybe it's being in easier reach. Maybe it's something else that causes Ruby to place a hand on Penny's shoulder as she walks past.

"See you later, Penny."

**0800 - Morning Tactical Briefing ~~hanging out with Winter~~**

They're standing around the hard light screens in Ironwood's office. There's a report on the last Amity shipment that suffered a Grimm attack. No one was injured and the shipment was entirely recovered after a day, but several crates were toppled and Dust crystal spilled.

She clicks to bring up the attached image. She closes it, but not before her thumb brushes over a red Dust crystal in the image.

**0900 - Assisting weapon development ~~handling extensions of her friends~~**

She tried as often as possible to book in time to help her dad out. As much as she was known for the raw destruction of Grimm, she _was_ still the daughter of the Finest Mind in Atlas, and she liked creation just as much.

Today was something a little different; reviewing and refining upgrades to her friends weapons.

There was one in particular she wanted to handle herself. Despite the request attached to it, it felt almost intrusive. She takes a deep breath, and places softly gloved hands on red steel.

**1000 - Assisting weapon development ~~starting upgrades on Ruby's weapon~~**

Compared to Floating Array, the circuitry in Crescent Rose was far simpler, but there was a certain elegance to it allowing it's shift between sniper, scythe, and war scythe modes. Penny took a moment to appreciate the current code, its logic allowing those switches from a dance of triggers tapped to a sequence that Ruby was used to. She contemplated the snippets of code to allow using the upgrades, imagining the taps of Ruby's fingers along the handle, and set down to type.

> **` if ( input_set_green <=2 ){  
>  ` **

A little notification from the long range proximity alarms popped up.

"Hey Dad. I gotta-"

"Sure thing darling. I'll finish up?"

"No, it's fine. I will complete this when I return."

She stands up, and looks back to the screen. She's got a second for this. She taps the keyboard three times, and heads out the door. Consciously, all she wanted was smaller, more elegant code.

Pietro looks over at his daughter's progress, and smiles.

> **` if ( input_set_green <3 ){  
>  ` **

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted something cute out for the Firefly anniversary! As usual, faster question response time at my blog. 
> 
> And yes, I will personally add more lines of code to make a less than three work. If you're someone I've coded with before and you're somehow reading this, don't @ me. :p


End file.
